Improvement in hand cotton-pickers



G. A HOWE,

Cotton Hafvesier.

Patented Dec. 4, 1855 w 1 .M "Y w yfl. 1., E Q 12.: ii: MWN .wtvfi anyfixkbw UNITED STATES PATENT @EETCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND COTTON-PICKERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No..ii3,77, dated December4, 18:35.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HOWE, of Vorcester, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulHand Cotton-Picker; andIdo hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description of the same,reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of the handcott0n-picker, and Fig.2a longitudinal section. Figs. 3 and 4 aredetached sections, which will be referred to in description.

Like letters refer to like parts in the difl'erent views.

A AA representthe exterior of the machine; B U D E, rollers upon andaround which the chain F revolves. This chain F is made by bending wiresinto the form of those seen in Fig. 3.

G G represent one of the links or wires detached, and G a section of thechain in Which the legs of one of the links are caught or hooked intothe middle of the next. When the chain is of suflieient length the endsofthe two extreme links are caught or hooked together, thus making anendless chain of pickers or gatherers. A belt of card-teeth may besubstituted for the chain.

The roller B is placed at the outer end of the tubular part A of themachine, where it revolves upon a shaft, as do the other rollers, O, D,and E, upon their respective shafts O, I), and E. As the chain passesfrom the roller 0 to the roller D it comes in close proximity to thewheel H, Fig. 2, which acts as a stripper to the chain as itis carriedBackward filled with cotton.

Upon the shaft 0 is a gear, I, which meshes into a smaller gear, J, uponthe shaft K ofthe stripper H, by means of which the stripper is revolvedfaster than the chain, and in the same direction as the lower part ofthe chain, as it is carried forward after being relieved of the cotton.

The dotted lines L, Fig. 1, represent a fly or balance wheel, which issecured to the other end of the shaft K, and which revolves in a capconnected to the side of the machine. The gears I and J are alsoprotected by a case or cover in a similar manner. The large gear I isconnected to the right-angled lever M by the rod N by means of a jointat N and at N. The lcverMhas-a pin-joint, P, which acts as a fulcrum inthe standard 0, which standard is secured to the case or tube. By theaction of the lever M, in combination with the rod N, the gear I isrevolved, by which means the movements are given to the machine.

Q represents a case or covering through which the connecting-rod Npasses. It considered preferable, the gear I may be revolved by a pin orhandle secured to it at N, instead of the lever and connecting-rod.

The throat A of the machine is made flaring, and to it is attached thebag R, which is so constructed that by removing the clasp S the twosides at the bottom will open and allow the contents to fall. In theedges of the bottom of the bag are sewed wires, which keep the bagextended in shape and the clasp in place. The bag R is secured to theflaring throat A by thespring-elaspT, which is sewed to the top of thebag. This clasp is provided with a hook and eye at T, which aids inretaining it in place above the bead or projec- Lion U, and thus the bagis prevented from slipping down. The bag maybe removed from the machineby unclasping the hook and eye at T.

Fig. 4 is a view of the throat A inverted, with the clasp around it andthe bag removed.

The ring V is secured to the top of the machine, and through this ringis passed a strap, by which the machine is suspended from the shoulders.

To operate the picker the strap which is passed through the ring V isput over one shoulder and under the opposite arm, the machine being welldrawn up under the arm. The arm is then extended, the thumb placed inthe ring \V, secured to the under part of the machine, and thehandlever- N operated. The roller B, which is placed at the extremity ofthe tubular part of the machine, is then brought in contact with thecotton-boll and the cotton picked out by the chain of pickers orgatherers and carried by it into the machine. As the chain passes thestripper H the cotton is detached and falls through the throat A intothe bag 1t, and when the bag becomes full it is opened, as described,and the cotton bined, arranged, and operated substantially in emptied.the manner and for the purpose herein set; forth lVhat I claim as newand my invention and and described. which I desire to secure by LettersPatent, 1s-

The endless belt or chain of gatherers F, stripper H, bag R, and case AA, when com- GEORGE A. HOWE.

Witnesses:

W. H. BURRIDGE, L. E. CORNWALL.

